IRN

We are from Maryland, and I have already started on the Georgia Endorsement process. I do not have the ability to pm other posters yet-my understanding is that you need to have 15 posts (and I am only on 8). Can you pm that info to me? Thank you very much!!!

A friend and I are looking to live in Aiken, SC for a few months (Jan/Feb-March/April) and we are trying to locate local agencies that might offer jobs in the surrounding areas. Does anyone have any names of local nursing agencies or know of any national companies that have jobs within an hour or so from Aiken? We are also looking into Augusta, Ga for jobs. Or does anyone have any idea of where to find info on local agencies? I looked online and I called the SC and GA Board of Nursing without luck. She is an ER nurse, and I work in Med/Surg. Any assistance/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if more info is needed. Thanks.

Med/Surg & Orthopedics Maryland 12 hour night shifts 6-8 patients 1 Patient Care Tech for each patient If we need to do primary care (for lack of staffing) it is one nurse for 3-4 patients. The ratios at this floor are much better than places that I have previously worked.

I have been a nurse for 5 years. Before that I worked in veterinary hospital for 10 years in various roles. I would love to find (or create) an area of nursing where I could work with animals and people. I am not looking to be a nurse for animals, but instead be a nurse for people and include the therapeutic relationship that can be obtained with animals. Do any of you have experience or know of any areas of nursing where this is possible? For PT, OT, SLP there is hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. There are people who work with therapy dogs and seeing eye dogs. But none of them seem to include nurses. Any ideas?

Tough situation to be in, but it happens far too often in nursing. In my first job I was in charge at night and was precepting a new grad. We had a total of 3 RN's on that night, one of which was an agency nurse who had only been on the unit once before. My preceptee and I had 9 or 10 patients. Also we had no patient care techs on that night, so we did EVERYTHING for these patients. We had two codes that night, and almost a third. It seemed like that was getting to be more of a trend than an abnormal situation. I handed it my resignation later that week. I did not go to school for that long and get my license in order for it to be taken away from me! I discussed it at length with supervisors and coworkers. Things have since improved on the unit, and I still go back for prn work. (That way I don't have to be in charge).

The day I graduated nursing school (5 years ago), I remember turning to my family and asking them if they could believe that I was going to be a nurse! We all vividly remember me as the one who repeatedly locked herself in closets so as not to have to go to the doctor. Then there is the time that I got hives all over my body and fought the ER staff because they promised there would be "no needles". Needless to say when the staff came back to give me a shot...I jumped off the stretcher and took off running. They cornered me and I kicked and punched the staff and screamed until I was hoorifice...(they won). My mother will never forget the dentist visit where I came out of the office hurridly and asked to borow the keys to her car. She gave them to me and I ran out and locked myself in the car. (I couldn't drive myself home yet, because I wasn't old enough to get a license). I still remember the look on my mothers face when she came out to the car. :angryfire I could keep going...but I think you get the point. What helped me to get over my fear of "all things medical" was working at an animal hospital. There I found that I actually enjoyed being a nurse for the animals...one thing lead to another and I now here I am working with people as patients (although sometimes I still prefer the animals) :) It just goes to show you that anything is possible, and you never know where life will take you or what will happen. If you really want to do something, you can make it work. I wish you luck in your adventures!